In making up the face, people usually rely on experience and perception. However, when it comes to making up one's own face, it is not always easy to express the image one wants. Also, when making up another's face to achieve a certain image, the infinite variety of attainable faces requires that the make-up artist have considerable experience and skill in order to apply make-up the way each and every individual wants.
There have been attempts to describe logically the process of applying make-up.
Thus, for example, a process of applying make-up while considering the image projected by the type of face has long been carried out. This involves the application of the aesthetic rules governing the plastic arts. However, when applied to make-up, even if the desired image can be obtained partially there is no guarantee that with such an approach the face, when looked at as a whole, can obtain a well-balanced image.
Concerning this method for applying make-up while considering the image projected by the type of face, the present applicant has previously proposed a facial classification method and facial map (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-75823).
This facial classification method and facial map, as shown in FIG. 1, classifies faces by locating the face to be classified along coordinate axes comprising a balance axis, which shows the length of the face as well as the positioning of such facial features as the eyes, eyebrows and so forth, and a form axis, which shows the roundness of the face as well as the aforementioned facial features. Additionally, this facial classification method and facial map creates a map from the set of coordinates.
This facial classification method and facial map makes it possible to get an overall picture of the face and clarify scientifically the factors that bring out the image of the face, and based on that, to apply make-up effectively.
Similarly, for example, applying make-up while taking into consideration a color image has long been carried out. This involves the application of the aesthetic rules governing color, and thus, for example, is based on an average perception of the relation between individual-colors and emotions as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, too, as with the type of face, even if the desired image can be obtained partially, there is no guarantee that with such an approach the face, when looked at as a whole, can obtain a well-balanced image. It should be noted that, although chromatics knows of a three-dimensional color object based on mapping three color sense perception attributes onto three axes as shown in FIG. 3, there is no example of multi-dimensionally obtaining a color image from this three-dimensional color object and making use of it in the application of make-up.
In short, as described above, a method of applying make-up while taking into consideration the color image is not necessarily an effective technique.